Puzzle



' Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,364

J. A. RADCLIFFE PUZZLE Filed March 20. 1928 FJ INVENTOR James ladoz//De B Y WVMMMAHWW Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES A. RADCLIFFE, OF JERSEY Cl'lY7 NEW JERSEY.

PUZZLE.

Application led March 20, 1928. Serial No. 263,085.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in puzzles and refers more particularly to what maybe termed, a blind lpuzzle, adapted to be contained in a sealed The object of the invention is to provide a relatively small specially constructed box, preferably of sheet metal, and to include therein a small ball which is normally adapted to be shook around to produce a rattle, and to provide secret means whereby by certain manipulations known to the operator, the ball may be pocketed and held against rattling, also so that by somewhat similar secret manipulation of the box the ball may be released for rattling if desired.

The puzzle may be put upon the market and sold under some sucl'l slogan as stop the rattle and whereby the object of the puzzle would in a measure be disclosedl by the name to be applied.

A further feature of the invention is to construct the puzzle in a manner which will allow it to be made of several inexpensive parts of sheet metal, adapted to be struck up by automatic machinery and readily assembled with the ball, such as a shot, enclosed after which the adjoining annular edge portions of the box can be sealed by a strip of adhesive tape to prevent access to the inside.

Upon the` accompanying drawing I have shown both a round and square form of box to illustrate the adaptability of use of different shaped boxes. As illustrated both of these boxes, aside from the fact that one is round and the other is square, are constructed substantially alike and include corresponding parts.

Other features of the invention and novel combinations of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a desirable form of the invent-ion.

Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and upon which Fig. l shows an outside perspective view of my novel puzzle box;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the puzzle as contained in a box, with cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of an inside tray member, also shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5;

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged vertical cross ses# tion, taken on line 4M4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar enlarged cross sectional view, the spring loop being shown spread by depression of the cover toireceive the ball;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the spring loop member shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 g an Fig. 7 shows a modified form of box with inside tray positioned therein.

The puzzle includes a box member 10 and a cover 1l adapted to iit upon the box, the overlapping depending edge portion of the cover serving to surround and engage the upwardly disposed edge portion of the box. Anv inne-r sheet metal member 12 is constructed to fitwithin the box and for the purpose of description may be called a tray. 'It serves the double purpose of supporting a spring loop member 13 for holding the ball 14 and likewise as a runway to guide the ball under the loop of the spring. This tray includes an upturned flange portion 15 which snugly tits inside of the upturned wall of the box and is adapted to engage the same in the support of the tray against rattle within the box.

The tray includes a relatively large central opening 16 having a radially disposed and comparatively narrow groove 17 which extends tothe side wall of the tray, said opening serving as a pocket to receive the ball when the parts are assembled. A relatively smaller opening or slot 18 is also formed in the bottom of this tray in line with and upon opposite sides of the central opening 16 which together with the central opening serves to receive and support the spring member 13 hereinbefore mentioned. This spring member, see Fig. 6, is formed of a narrow strip of metal and bent to include a loop 19 of its central portion.

Tn the assemblage of the parts this loop portion is positioned' in the central opening 16 in alignment with the length of the said opening and it-s loop extends up into the center portion of the box. p This spring member further includes outwardly disposed horizontal leg portions 20' which lie between the bottom of the tray and the floor of the box and are provided with upturned ends 21 which project through the slots 18. It will be observed that the relative width of the central opening 16, the slots18 and the portions of the spring seated therein are such as to permit horizontal movement of the said spring with relation tothe tray in a way to allow the loop-shaped portion of the spring to be de pressed. and spread as for instantie from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that indicated in Fig. 5.

This spreading oi" the loop is obviously accomplished by pressing down on the center portion 22 of the box which normally lies, see Fig. Al, against the top o't the peak of the loop of the spring. With the parts thus normally positioned and the ball free Within the box, the puzzle may be operated to stop the rattle by iirst slightly tilting the box to one side in a Way to allow the ball to roll into the outer end portion of the extension 17. Then by pressing in at upon the cover, the loop ot the spring is engaged and sp1-cad sufficient to allow the ball to roll under and into the opening l. Ilpon releasing the pressure from the box the loop or" the spring innnediately retracts in a way to engage the Vball and hold it thereunder and against further movement and rattle. 'Ihe ball is obviously readily released by the same method of pressing in upon the side, spreading the spring to free the ball and permit it to be run out.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a puzzle of the class described, a. box having a compressible side, a sheet metal spring member supported therein and incl uding a loop portion disposed against said side, and a ball normally free Within the box and adapted to roll in under the loop when engaged and spread by a compressed movement of said side.

2. In a puzzle of the class described, a box having a compressible side, a sheet metal spring member supported therein and including a loop portion disposed against one side of the box, and adapted to be spread thereby, a ball normally free Within the box and adapted to roll in under the spreaded loop and to be engaged and supported thereby, said box having a guideway to receive and guide the ball. into the loop.

3. In a puzzle of the class described, a closed box, a ball normally Yfree to rattle Within the box, a sheet metal spring member including a loop portion positioned centra-l of the box and adapted to be engaged and spread by a deflected movement oit the side oi the box, a guideivay for directing the ball into the loop when spread' and said ball being adapted to be engaged and held by said loop when pressure thereon has been released.

4. In a puzzle of the class described, a closed box, a tray positioned therein, a sheet metal spring member supported by the tray and including an expansible loop portion, a ball normally iree to rattle Within the box and adapted to roll in under the loop When expanded, one side of the box being normally in engagement with the peak of the loop whereby the latter may be depressed and spread by pressure upon the side ot the box for the purpose ot' allowing the ball to enter.

5. In a puzzle oit the class described, a relatively tiat closed box, a tray Within the box, a. ball normally tree Within the box, a sheet metal spring member supported by the tray and including a loop portion adapted to be spread by the pressed engagement of the side ot the box, and means tor retaining the tray within the box against rattling.

6. In a puzzle of the class described, a rela.- tively flat closed box, a tray Within the box having an elongated opening therein, a sheet metal spring member positioned Within the opening and adapted to be expanded Within the said opening, and a ball normally tree Within the bex and adapted to roll into the slot ol' the tray and under the loop when pressed and expanded and thereby engaged when the loop is released.

7. In a puzzle of the class described, a relatively flat closed box, a tray having openings therein, a sheet metal spring member having a loop portion positioned in one oit the said openings and t'ree end portions disposed in the other oi` said openings in a manner to permit the expansion of the loop of the spring and sliding movement of the end portions of the spring Within the openings, a side of the box being in juxtaposition to the peak ot' the loop whereby the latter may be engaged and expanded by an inward pressure of the side of the box, and a ball normally free Within the box and adapted to be guided by the opening and under the loop of the spring.

8. In a puzzle o'f the class described, a relatively lat closed box, a sheet metal spring member seated upon one side of the box and including a loop portion positioned against the opposite lside and adapted to be engagedV and spread by a deflected movement oil the side of the box, and a ball normally free to rattle within the box and adapted to roll in under the loep when spread and to be engaged and held by said loop when pressure has been released.

Signed at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State oi New Jersey, this 12th day of March, A. D. 1928.

JAMES A. RADCLIFFE. 

